Survivor
by uniwonder
Summary: Multi-verse; an unlucky government official discovers a Seeker nest and thus his life will never be the same... Rated M for safety. WIP R&R, plz?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers, nor do I make any profit from writing this story.

* * *

_Multi-verse; the **Transformers** belong to **Hasbro **and all original characters belong to me, with the exception of Miller—whom belongs to Nita (she will also be my guest author). This piece of work may contain violence, adult language, and sexual situations. And, as always, constructive criticism is welcome._

**Survivor  
**

He stared longingly at the trio of pods clinging to the damp wall.  
They were the future of their race, the seekers in particular. What seemed like a millennia ago; Megatron's defeat at the hands of that human child proved difficult for his second-in-command, despite his denying any feelings that stemmed from the loss. And The Fallen—that old sack of circuits—had not a word to say about the death of his beloved apprentice and heir. The elder worked Starscream to the bone; the hatchlings needed this and the hatchlings needed that. Day in and day out, the seeker tended to the soft glowing sacks, making sure they had enough energon to sustain their still-developing systems…

It was when The Fallen became in need of his own life support system, that Starscream took the chance to step up his game.  
Deep within the Nemesis, the Decepticon queen—the last, and perhaps the only, Cybertronian female to join their ranks—had lied patiently waiting for her mate. But he never came. He never cared. He only sought revenge, you see. The seeker, however, had acknowledged her want to breed, knowing that he would be risking her life as well as his own; and that fateful night did indeed provide him with three potential heirs, a full trine born of elite blood.

And then Megatron came back.  
After losing the last battle to the Autobots, he took to destroying The Fallen's brood—perhaps to make way for his own, much like a rouge lion preparing his kingdom for a new world order.

o---o

Starscream's optics dimmed as he lowered his chest to the floor, bringing his helm closer to the pods. He nuzzled them lightly as if to give encouragement, praying to Primus they would survive—unlike the rest of their nestmates. He emitted soft clicks for added measure, offering comfort to his little seekerlets, and then straightened his larger form (as much as he could, anyway, considering the tight confines of the basement). His own trine awaited him outside of the hangar. They, too, were concerned for the hatchlings' safety and for obvious reasons.

"They are doing well?" Thundercracker inquired with a slow, calculated step toward his brother. The air commander made his way out of the hangar and placed a hand upon his arm in response to the mech's anxious tone.

"They will have plenty of nourishment," added the darker jet, Skywarp, as he eyed the fuel tanks, tempted to grab some for himself. Starscream gave a short nod of his head and nudged his elder brother's bicep cables in silent affection. It was time to return to their temporary base, for Megatron would be looking for them and neither jet wanted to face an enraged Decepticon leader.

The trine quickly took off into the night sky; Thundercracker and Skywarp attempting to block their commander's view of the abandoned site, and kept him from having second thoughts.

o---o

It's been an hour or so since Starscream and his trine departed, and there was almost complete silence; the only sound coming from the glowing pods; the nauseating slosh of fluid as the seekerlets moved about within their cerulean tomb. It was only a matter of time before they entered the world as tiny versions of their creator…


	2. Chapter 2

"I just think it's unfair to send me on these bogus 'missions' just because I'm a 'rookie'." It was a day like every other. Miller sat inside of his beat up Taurus dressed as if he were going to some important business meeting. The young man's features were wrinkled obviously miffed about the events that had taken place earlier in the day. His only form of venting as always was his partner who was conveniently given the day off. Miller sighed heavily again as he readjusted the Bluetooth piece in his ear. His hand settled on his steering wheel again. His brown eyes glared impatiently at the bumper of the car in front of him.

His mood wouldn't have been half as bad if it wasn't for the fact that he had to spend what should have been a fifteen minute drive to some abandoned naval base inside of traffic. "I could have been there and back by now." He mumbled. _"Oh stop your belly aching. You'll be up there with the big boys in no time and believe me you'll hate it just as much as you hate doing errands."_

Miller rolled his eyes as the other man's words. "Yeah yeah yeah. Look, I'll talk you later." _"Alright. Take care Mills."_ "You too." With that said, the call was ended. Miller rolled his shoulders and pressed back into his seat. Another ten minutes passed before the traffic began to move again. He grumbled as he took the next exit off of the freeway in order to avoid anymore possibilities of traffic. The method worked, to his great relief.

Miller bought his car to a rolling stop in front of the building. Climbing out, he straightened his suit absently while making his way toward the fenced in area. The place was clearly deserted...why would they send him here? He hummed lightly as he scanned the length of the wire fence. Finding a section of it down, he entered the property there. His steps were muffled as he took long strides to the nearest hangar. As he stepped inside, he reached for the pen light in his pocket and flipped it on. He scanned the area slowly. Nothing out of the usu-... Before he could complete the thought, his eyes settled on a large crater like hole in the floor. "Hmm..." Miller approached the hole slowly. The tip of his shoe caught a rock as he walked sending it tumbling to a lower level. Not too deep.

With that in mind, Miller slowly made his way down into what looked like a basement. "Maybe this wasn't so bad after all..." He mumbled to himself. There was something here...something that would send his career soaring. He could sense it.

o---o

Deep within the shadows, the large sacks trembled; the young inside anticipated their birth. It was as if the intruder's presence had caused their reaction—perhaps the hatchlings were already susceptible to their 'fight or flight' instincts. Nevertheless, here they were; two completely different worlds about to collide.

Miller's grip on the flashlight changed as he made his way through the basement level. His steps echoed sharply through the seemingly empty space. There was nothing out of the normal down here...save for debris and that could have been placed there when the floor gave way. "There's something....I know it." He insisted as the first hints of doubt began to nag at him. He pressed further. Then...his steps paused as the fluorescent light settled on some sort of techno-organic roots clinging to the walls. "What is this?" He whispered unconsciously trailing the roots back to what appeared to be their source. Once again, he was stopped in his tracks. This time his flashlight dropped and, without his knowing, it eventually rolled across the floor and nudged up against the thick roots. "Ho...ly...." The words were lost as his gaze swept over....eggs....moving eggs. ".....aliens. I found....aliens?!" He whispered to himself. This had to be a dream.

The eggs then began to shift and stretch as if something were attempting to break free of the copious fluid. An indignant sound of surprise escaped him as he watched the membrane stretch. It was just his luck that he'd find such a thing right when it was about to hatch. Now they were going to lay eggs in his chest....like in that movie! The membrane soon began to tear and a rush of energon spewed forth from the lesion, causing him to pale and take several steps back; and then a dark, clawed hand gradually slipped between the folds and grasped at the air before retracting back into the warm casing. He could only imagine what kind of horrible creature rested inside of them.

From within her shadowy confines; her large, blue eyes stared out at the human intruder with slight interest, and she began to emit a series of precise clicks, calling for her creator—an immediate action for any infant.

And just as he began to turn and run like the brave government agent he was, he heard the noise from the creature inside. He paused and took a closer look at the thing. Such pretty eyes. "Hey there....umm...wow, you're kinda...cute in a....robot alien type....way..." He babbled not moving any further or any closer to the thing. Instead, his hand fumbled around in his pocket for his cell phone. He needed to report this.

The hatchling simply cocked her head as he spoke, unsure of what he was saying.  
The sudden actions he preformed, however, drew her out into the open. She was curious, as any young creature. Again, more clicks and purrs emitted from her vocalizer as she approached him. Behind her, a long, whip-like apparatus extended from her spine; and her tiny wings twitched with each cautious step. Miller had taken his eyes off of the creature for only a moment as he fumbled with the buttons of his cell. He was so close to having the life and career he wanted.

He could see it, his face on the television for finding alien life. A smile formed on his lips as he finally found control of his fingers to press the right numbers. He'd gotten the seven digits punched in when he heard movements from the creature. Glancing up, he let out a terrified 'oh' as he watched the thing come closer. "N-no no no, stay where you are." He stammered. For only a moment he was rooted in place. Her olfactory sensors sniffed the air around him; she even became as bold as to reach out with her slender talons to graze the toe of his shoe, and he jumped back only to find himself on his ass. "Get back!" He yelled as he back paddled.

The little seeker steadied herself and flexed her wings with disappointment.  
It was then, the remaining egg sacks began to tear—just as the first—and out came two others; two male seekerlets. They were already growling at one another, fighting for leadership over their fledgling trine. Miller barely noticed the two extra hatchlings. His wide eyes watched the alien in front of him. The wonderful life he had pictured was suddenly turning into a visage of what kind of horrible death he'd suffer.

And as if she were reading his mind and ready to show him, the femme pounced, letting the sharp end of her tail slice the sleeve of his suit and graze the skin. "AHHH!!" The panicked human screamed. "Get off!" He shouted punching at the thing's face...or whatever it was. His legs kicked as he tried to gather enough leverage to roll and possibly get to his feet.

She growled at her prey, parting her labial plates to reveal a row of razor sharp teeth. Miller eyed them warily. This was it. This was the end. His eyes squeezed shut awaiting the killing blow only to feel the presence of the alien leave him. The femme had hopped from his body to a nearby desk, waving her tail about with irritation.

At the opposing end of the basement, the other two seekerlets began to crawl their way up the wall and out of the nest. Having noticed this, the femme leapt over Miller's head and followed after them. They were heading for the fuel tanks; following the scent trail their creator left them before his departure. But, little did they know, another was watching them with keen interest from within the opposing hangar…


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly, his eyes cracked open. They were gone...and he was in one piece. Miller let out a shout of happy relief as he patted his chest. _"Miller? Miller! What the hell is going on!?"_ Miller blinked hearing the voice. Ah, his phone. He climbed to his feet quickly. "Hello? Mike, you won't believe what I've just found." He whispered into the phone as he went the way he though the three creatures went. He had to keep a visual on them. "Now don't think I'm crazy but...there are aliens here, three of them." As he spoke he looked up watching the three heading toward the fuel tanks. _"Yeah right. Lay off the sauce, Miller."_

o---o

The shadowy figure hidden behind the hangar door watched intently as the hatchlings made their way to the tanks and happily engorged themselves. Their narrow tails swung around and pierced one of the tanks with ease, and began to suck the fuel from within. Everything seemed normal, but when the larger mech caught sight of Miller…

Thundercracker's protectiveness over his brother's offspring drove him to burst forth from his hideout with a shriek. His talons flexed and his wings were outstretched to make himself appear more intimidating—not that he needed any help in that department. Thundercracker was the eldest of his trine and the wisest. It was there creator, Nightscream, who appointed him the trine leader, but he declined and thus gave the position to the next one down. He was simply too unpredictable and the shyest seeker around. And while Skywarp led their brother away earlier, he returned to keep a watchful eye...

Miller had been ready to raise the phone and take a picture to send to Mike to prove he hadn't gone off the deep end. Just as he began to press the button that would take the image, the ground rumbled. He looked down then up quickly. Instincts drove his gaze toward the large mechanical being coming his way.

The blue jet stepped between the Miller and the hatchlings, daring the human to make another move. "You…" he started, seemingly oblivious to the tiny seekers crawling around his feet. He knew it wasn't safe for them anymore. He had to kill this man. Thundercracker leaned forward onto his hands to inspect the intruder closely, running the man's image through his CPU; "…Miller Jacobs—novice fleshling." His deep voice resonated off the nearby objects.

Once again, Miller screamed. He took two steps to run only to have his legs give out on him as the alien hovered over him. _"Miller? Miller! What the hell was all of that?!"_ Mike called on the other end of the line. The cell that had been in Miller's hand had fallen landing just out of his reach. "H-how do you know my name?" The young man whispered shakily as he began pushing back.

And while he waited for the larger mech to respond, one of the male hatchlings walked over to the discarded phone and began to tear it apart. "Hey hey he-!" He started to yell at the hatchling currently tearing his phone to shreds. It wouldn't have made his situation any better but what else could he do. This was his only link to getting people here. "I have my ways, fleshling," the seeker finally answered, lifting a clawed hand to pin the human with each talon; "Your presence endangers the hatchlings. You must be exterminated."

"W-wa-wait a minute, we can talk about this. See...there's going to be people out in just a few minutes...if they find me dead, you're going to have a lot more problems on your hands." He babbled. This was a giant creature, what did it have to worry about? A bunch of humans were probably nothing more than roaches at best.

Thundercracker tsk'd at the man, slowly shaking his head from side to side.  
"The only problem I will have is picking your entrails from the bottom of my foot." Once again he had to ready himself for the inevitable. If this wasn't it, he was going to end up dying of a heart attack or something. There were only so many near death experiences a person could handle in one hour. And just as the seeker straightened himself, the tiny femme from before jumped in front of him, trilling loudly. He jumped, sure that that was the sound of a body being flattened into a not very cartoon like pancake. Funny, he thought it would have had more of a 'crunch and pbthhh' sound.

"Move, Slipstream."

He heard the larger alien speak and cracked an eye open spotting the hatchling that appeared to be....defending him? The one called Slipstream hissed in response to her uncle's command and looked back to Miller expectantly. Miller couldn't decide whether he was being saved or the thing was asking to be the one to kill him.

"Move." He repeated.

Slipstream continued to stare at Miller, despite the other jet's attempt to sway her. She stepped closer to the man, reaching out to touch his arm. He fought the urge to jerk away; "Oh wait please don't eat me....I mean...if you do, just not alive, okay?" He said knowing full well that he was only understood by the larger alien.

Thundercracker allowed a deep rumble to escape his chest, and the sound alone drove the other two hatchlings to approach the spectacle. The blue jet began to emit other vocalizations, causing the younger mechs to sneak back behind his feet. "It would appear that Slipstream wishes to use you as a play toy, human. I will allow this… for now."

His mother had always told him to count his blessings. Was this one of them? To be a play toy to...an alien. Miller was almost tempted to tell the large jet like creature to go ahead and squish him. His lips pursed as he looked to Slipstream warily. Everything about the little alien was lethal. "Oh boy...."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** (((comm. speak)))

* * *

_Ten years later…_

Ten years had passed. Funny how it didn't feel like that...most days. "Hold on, Slip...ah crap." Miller spoke into the mask that covered the lower portion of his face. His hands were clasped in a near death grip as his world spun at a horizontal spiral. Not that it would help him. He had no control over the F-22 Raptor jet fighter that was now barrel rolling through the air. His breaths came in sharp breaths as he attempted to use the breathing techniques he'd learned to keep from passing out. "Keep that up and we're going to need another barf bag."

"Yes, we'd hate to have you clean out my cockpit… _with a toothbrush_."

Her gentle voice resonated within the tight confines of the jet as she executed another glorious move and, despite his growing nausea, Miller laughed. The mirth was cut short, however, as the jet made yet another move. For a while, he was silent; quite sure he'd spew his guts should he open his mouth. He swallowed several times. "You'd make me do that?" He finally asked.

"Of course I would."  
Slipstream picked up speed as she whipped through the low hanging clouds. But it wasn't long before two other Raptors appeared on either side of her chassis…

"Uuuugh, definitely taking the train next time." He groaned as his body was pressed back into his seat. Miller would have figured he'd have gotten used to the amount of G force Slipstream could generate. No such luck. Still, he had to admit the view was phenomenal. His brown eyes shifted from the view of clouds and land below before going to the side panels as Sunstorm and Apollo appeared. "Where are we heading anyways? Don't' tell me I'm suffering through just another joy ride."

The femme fell into silence, knowing how her brothers could get when confronting the human. Miller watched the two other jets warily. They had yet to do anything maiming to him but he knew if given the chance they would. "For now, I'm looking for a cave… or something… somewhere to hide," she whispered. He only nodded and absently turned his gaze down searching for the cave in question as well. She then took a nose dive, heading straight for a mountain, with the two other seekers hot on her trail. And then Sunstorm's obnoxious voice came though the comm. link:

(((You don't want to play with us, Slipstream?)))

"Miller… Hold on."

"Right."

Slipstream jerked to the side and slipped through one of the mountain's many crevices. Miller's hands remained on the joystick absently and his feet shifted slightly in an attempt to act as a brace. He grunted as he was jostled about as a sharp turn was made. "Never going to get used to flying." He muttered more to himself. Deeper into the rock, she went, until she finally landed and rolled to a complete stop next to an underground lake.

Miller couldn't keep from sighing in relief. His fingers uncurled slowly before raising and flexing slightly. He'd gripped so tightly that his joints were aching.

"I apologize for that. I didn't want them getting a chance to… you know…" Her cockpit swung open, allowing the man to exit.  
Miller carefully undid the straps that kept him from tumbling around the cockpit. The mask came off next before he stood. "It's alright. I know how those two are." He said as he stretched his back. He hopped out of the pit landing surprisingly light. "At least I don't have to clean your cockpit out again." He pointed out as he walked to the lake's edge. Kneeling he ran his fingers through the cool water.

She gave a lighthearted laugh at his last remark and transformed.  
Slipstream resembled her creator, yet her body was more slender and feminine. She even donned the same coloration, save for the pale streaks along her arms. Her crimson gaze watched Miller intently; "I wish you could meet him… My father, I mean."

He looked over his shoulder with a light smile. He hadn't changed much since the day he'd stumbled upon the hatchlings. Save for his hair being nearly shoulder length now and a few lines of age here and there, he was still in relatively good shape. "If he's anything like you then I wish I could too." He said lightly. Part of him dreaded the day Slip's father made his appearance. "Do you know if he's ever coming back for you guys?"

"I doubt he will; I've only met him once… he was strict, yet I knew he cared for us to some extent. From what I've heard: Starscream is really an egotistical narcissist bent on overthrowing Megatron. Uncle says he brought us here so that we may survive and someday aide our father in doing so…" She sighed and took a seat next to the wall. "Uncle says Sunstorm is showing signs of being just like him; and Apollo—he's so quiet; all he does is fly around. And me… I'm just a chick with good looks."

He listened intently to Slipstream speak about her father. He wasn't sure if her sighs were signs that she missed him or not. What kid didn't miss their father, alien or not. Miller straightened from the lake. "Hey, those are not the only attributes you have to offer. You're a kick as flier, levelheaded..." He spoke lightly. He ran a hand through his hair. "And god help me if your dad is any worse than Apollo." He muttered.

"Oh, stop it!"  
If she were human, she would've blushed. "You may just feed my ego enough to surpass my brother." Slipstream stuck her glossa out in a teasing manner.

Miller chuckled. It amazed him how humanlike the jet's reactions were sometimes. "That wouldn't be a bad thing." He said raising his hands in an 'I'm just saying' kind of gesture. He lowered his hands again and began the process of exploring the cave a little.

o---o

Outside, Apollo and Sunstorm stood on the opposing outcrop; the lighter jet staring angrily at the cave entrance. "I can't believe she's friends with that fleshy," he snarled. Apollo frowned and proceeded to flick a speck of dust from his shoulder. "Do you like him?" The dark seeker simply shrugged in response to his trine leader. "Of course you don't…" Sunstorm added.

o---o

Slipstream smiled down at Miller, then glanced up to the damp rock above her.  
"It's so cramped in here…"

"Yeah, a little on the cold side too." Miller said absently as he flitted his gaze over the cave. As far as hideouts went, it wasn't the best but it wasn't worse either. "How long are we here for?" He questioned. "However long it takes… But if you'd like to leave now, we can. I don't think they have enough patience to rema—" She paused and stood up slowly. "Do you hear that?" she asked, spotting a few rocks that fell from the ceiling.

"Well I would like to get some supplies if we're staying here and maybe some.......food...." Miller trailed off as his attention was called upward. He grimaced watching the rocks falling from the ceiling. Without thinking, he walked backward, careful to avoid the falling rocks, to place himself near Slipstream. Once in place, he dared to look toward the commotion coming from the entrance of the cave they had been hidden in. "Shit."

Slipstream growled and flexed her wings in a defensive manner. "Stay back…" Sunstorm blasted his way through and hissed in annoyance; "Can we play with the human now, Slipstream?" The femme shook her head and pounced, causing Apollo to step aside to avoid the antics. And with his siblings busy, he averted his attention to Miller and simply stared at him.

He felt his stomach drop to his knees when he heard the question. Why the hell would either of them want to 'play' with him. Miller took several stumbling steps back watching Slip pounce her sibling anxiously. Feeling eyes on him, the human looked up slowly spotting Apollo. Another step was taken back only to find that the wall was there. Miller swallowed hard.

Apollo narrowed his optics and ignored the commotion as he reached down to take the human within his talons. "I have the flesh creature, Sunstorm." "Slip!" Miller shouted as the talons wrapped around him. He pushed futilely against the grip as he was lifted off of the ground. The trine leader snickered and kicked Slipstream into the opposing wall, causing more rocks to fall; burying her completely. Miller's struggling ceased watching rocks bury the femme transformer. "SLIP!" He shouted more concerned for his friend than for his well being. "Come on… Let's go find Skywarp!" Both mechs quickly transformed—Apollo forcing Miller into his cockpit—and flew off in the direction of their younger, more immature uncle.

He wasn't given the chance to see if she was alright before he was forced into Apollo's cockpit. Over all of the commotion he heard the name Skywarp. Great. Just great. He growled and kicked the gears of the mech's cockpit as hard as he could. He was probably going to die anyways.


	5. Chapter 5

Apollo tossed Miller onto the ground at Skywarp's feet, the man grunting as he hit the ground.  
"Ooh, this is him?" he inquired, reaching down to prod the human with a single claw, making it difficult for him to stand. "How disgustingly squishy…" The dark seeker smirked and handed both a can of oil for their trouble. A sneer tugged at his lips hearing Skywarp's words. Bastard wasn't exactly the Leonardo De Caprio of mechs in Miller's opinion.

"Where is Slipstream, anyway?"

Sunstorm lowered his gaze; "I'm afraid… there was a rock slide."

Finally pushing to his feet he turned his attention to Sunstorm. "That you caused! You didn't even check if she was alright!" He yelled at the mech.  
Skywarp wasn't one to believe humans, but he couldn't help but wonder—considering how Sunstorm was. "Well… The squishy has a backbone after all!" Skywarp beamed and leaned closer, letting one of his claws graze Miller's cheek. "Then again, we can always double check to make sure…" In the corner, Apollo couldn't help but smile at his uncle's sadistic tendencies. Miller, however, flinched at the cold press of metal against his cheek. Still, the anger he felt from Slipstream being left behind possibly injured kept him standing upright. It didn't matter either way. Without Slipstream, he was either dead or back at home living a normal life. Ten years in the femme's company...he didn't know if he could go back to being 'normal'.

o---o

The mountain of rubble fell from her form in rivers.  
Slipstream groaned as she pulled herself free, none too happy about the dents gracing her figure. "Bastards…" she cursed and opened a private comm. link with her primary caretaker:

"Thundercracker… I need some help…"

She gave the mech her coordinates and proceeded to make her way out of the cave.

(((What happened?)))

"Eh, Sunstorm and Apollo stole my play toy."

(((Oh, wel—)))

"AND!—Sunstorm buried me under rocks."

She could hear the sigh in his voice as he told her to stay put, that he was just a few minutes away. And when he finally arrived, Slipstream immediately wrapped her arms around him, careful to avoid the sensitive wings. "I wish they would leave me alone…" she said, her voice being muffled by his armor. "He thinks you will desert him; that you're turning soft and… _Autobot-like._"

The femme looked up at the larger jet, her brilliant red optics glittering with fear; "Please don't tell Starscream." Thundercracker brought a hand to her helm. "I won't."

o---o

Sunstorm and Apollo were now perched on a nearby ledge, with their cans of oil held firmly within their grasp. Below them, Skywarp circled his human prey; "Strip." He looked up watching Skywarp circle him. The order given made him raise his eyebrows. "For what?" He questioned.

"Just do it!" barked the black seeker.

He jumped at the barked words. Grinding his teeth, Miller complied. The tattered t-shirt and jeans came off along with his socks and shoes. Sunstorm and Skywarp began to laugh their asses off—even Apollo threw in a chuckle. "You squishies are so fucking ugly!" yelled Sunstorm.

Skywarp grinned; "Your interface unit is rather small, too. We can fix that for you…"

Miller silently seethed. It was nothing like being made fun of by aliens. "My what?" He looked down at himself for a moment before snorting. Were they serious. "No thanks, it's the right size for my species, asshole." He grumbled.

And they laughed again.

"You like Slipstream, _don't_ you?"

"L-like?" Miller eyes widened slightly. Slipstream had saved his life and was probably the best friend he'd ever had...of course he liked he....oh. His eyes narrowed. "She's my friend. What do you care?"

Skywarp glanced to Sunstorm for a moment, then back to Miller. "We can make you one of us… Perhaps then you won't have to worry about getting stepped on." Sunstorm hopped down to add his two cents; "And we need a third to complete our trine." The darker jet cocked an optic ridge at his nephew, but decided against saying anything about the matter.

The offer came as a shock. Miller was sure he had been bought here to be torn to pieces. He looked from one mech to the other. "One of you..." He repeated the words in his head. "How?"

As both Decepticons looked between one another, Apollo stood atop his perch; "Starscream knows…" He glared at the trio below and tossed his empty can aside. "But it will take some convincing." Skywarp smirked and turned his back on Sunstorm and Miller; and the golden jet snickered down at the man. "If you don't agree, fleshie, I'll kill you myself."

Starscream.

Miller swallowed at the mention of Slipstream's father. How would he convince a mech that was similar to Sunstorm that he deserved to be an alien jet...thing? He started to decline the offer only to pause at Sunstorm's words. Miller gritted his teeth. "Then I don't have much choice now do I?" He ground out.


	6. Chapter 6

_We thank you for the review, 9aza.  
And__ as for Sunstorm and his trine; it will all be explained in due time. :)_

"You'll stay in here for now."  
Sunstorm dropped Miller into a cage without any regard to the human's wellbeing and the pain jolted his body. "Son of a...." He groaned as he rolled to his side and slowly sat up. His hand rubbed at the sore spot on his back. Pushing to his feet again, he looked around the cage. They could have at least given him his clothes back, he thought. "Are you going to check on Slip now?" He called after the mech.

The golden jet laughed as he locked the cage door. "Check on her? Do you honestly think she's incapable of helping herself?"

"I never said that she wasn't but...." Miller allowed a frustrated sigh to escape. There was no point in arguing. Sunstorm took one last glance at his captive and turned to walk away, leaving him alone in the darkness; where Miller took a seat off to the side of the cage and brought his knees up to his chest. All he could do was wait now.

o---o

Two Raptors sped across the sky, heading toward their destination at great speeds. "They better not have harmed him!" growled Slipstream. Thundercracker swooped beneath her and rose along her right wing; "Skywarp will not allow harm to the human. He knows you care for him, and would hate to see you upset."

"But why is he allowing the others to mess with him?"

The blue jet sighed and tipped his wing in a shrug.

"There is no telling why Skywarp does what he does. He has always been like that."

"Is it true that Nightscream had to chain him to the wall for 30 days?"

Thundercracker's frame shivered with laughter. "Yes."

o---o

_"What?"_

"Slipstream has adopted—"

_"I know what you said!"_

Skywarp lowered his gaze to the control panel. "She is ignorant… She knows little of her heritage, Starscream." On the screen before him, the Decepticon Air Commander trembled with rage. Starscream _despised _humans and would be damned if his own metal and circuits took to Autobot ways. Skywarp made a soft 'ahem' and tapped his chin lightly; "I'm just going to get this out—we request that you turn the human into a Transformer."

He offlined his optics, waiting for the berating that was sure to follow; but nothing came; there was only silence. The dark seeker took a cautious peek at the monitor. Starscream was casting his brother a murderous gaze, the soft tap of his talons against the opposing console being the only sound.

"…'Screamer, think of Slipstream and her brothers; they need someone to complete their trine and she needs a companion—"

_"Slipstream is the third."_

"I know. That's what I thought, but Sunstorm insists otherwise."

_"Nonsense! I will be down there shortly… In the meantime, you and Thundercracker are to keep them in line. Understood?"_

"Yes, sir."

With that, the screen went blank.

And from within the shadows, Apollo concluded his spying session and teleported back to his own quarters. _I believe it's time to add one more player to this little game… _He slowly walked to his computer and proceeded to contact the Decepticon base through a private signal, linking him to one Decepticon in particular.

o---o

Finally, Slipstream and Thundercracker arrived at Skywarp's "Pent House"—as he likes to call it. "He's here… I know it." She walked to the door and attempted to reach for the keypad. "Damn it! I'm still too short." Thundercracker stepped up behind her and did it instead, pulling her back as the door slid open.

"Hellooo!"

The older jet walked to the prison entrance while Slipstream went around making herself known. He shook his head and punched in yet another combination. Inside, he could ismell/i the human. "He's in here…" he murmured over their comm. link. The femme came running and paused in the middle of the room; "Miller...?"

Sleep didn't come for him. Miller was far too worried about Slip to do anything more than fidget in his cage. He had just changed his position for the umpteenth time when he heard a familiar voice calling him. "Slip?" He called searching the dark room as he did.

Upon hearing her name, Slipstream rushed over to a row of cages and began to sift through them until she found her human… naked. "Miller! You're alive!" She squee'd with joy and unlocked his confines, completely ignoring the fact he was in the nude.

Miller pushed to his feet almost running to the cage. A smile spread across his face as he looked Slipstream over. She was okay. "Yeah more or less.." He trailed off absently clasping his hands in front of his groin as he walked out of the cage. "Did...you bring my clothes?" He asked oddly self conscious about being nude in front the femme.

"Huh?" She inclined her head and finally took the time to look him over. "OHMYGOD! I'm SO sorry!" Slipstream ran behind her uncle in embarrassment. Thundercracker's optic twitched slightly at the scene and reached over to tear a piece off one of the rags hanging on the wall. "Here." He offered the fabric to Miller in hopes of the human covering his… happy place.

His face flared a bright red. "I-its not your fault." He muttered fighting the urge to cut his eyes at Thundercracker. Him and the other two fucktards were the ones responsible. "Thanks." He muttered as the mech in question handed him some fabric. Snatching it, he tied it around his waist managing to cover both his front and backside. Much better.

Slipstream peeked out from behind the larger jet and snickered.  
"Why are you here and without proper covering, human?" Thundercracker asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Upon closer inspection, Miller noted that the larger mech standing there was indeed Thundercracker. He shifted on his feet slightly. "I don't know...Skywarp and those other two bought me here and told me to strip. They were talking about a trine or something..."

"Hm…"

Slipstream looked between the two, confused.  
"I will have a talk with Skywarp. You two stay put." Thundercracker placed a hand upon his niece's shoulder, earning a gentle trill in return. Even though she was here with Miller, her uncle was her security blanket and she felt vulnerable without him nearby.

Miller wasn't sure if he said too much or not. Really wasn't sure if it mattered. If it got those bastards in trouble, then what concern should he have for it? He nodded simply when Thundercracker turned to leave. Looking to Slipstream, he smiled again. "You had me worried there, you know." He said once the older mech was gone.

"Oh… You don't gotta worry about me." She returned the smile and took a seat next to the cages. Miller followed absently leaning against the cage when he came to a stop. "Yes I do. Its what friends do."

Slipstream stared over at him for a brief moment, then averted her gaze. "Right. That iis/i what friends do…" She began to brush her thumb across her thigh armor as if to distract herself, and then spoke once more, yet her tone was more sullen; "But it isn't right… Humans and Decepticons—friends. I almost got you killed… That's all we're good for; killing."

He tilted his head to look up at Slipstream. "I would have been dead a long time ago, Slip. You saved me." He said softly. That fact alone was a contradiction to what the femme had just said. Decepticons couldn't only been good for killing if they were saving 'fleshies'. "Not all Decepticons are bad."

She returned her attention to the man; "You're so good with words." It was meant to be a tease; she was actually trying to lighten things up a bit. Miller chuckled. "I'm just speaking the truth here." He said lightly.

And her smile widened; "Which reminds me, why haven't you bonded yet? There are plenty of pretty humans around…"

He shrugged his shoulder upon hearing her question. Why hadn't he bonded yet. "Busy I guess...I always had a picture of how my life would be before I sought out a spouse." He answered.

"Ha! Busy… I think you're scared."

"Me? Scared, pfft, noooo." He protested. There was no way he was afrai-- okay maybe earth women were scary but...if he could manage not to be killed by a female transformer, he could handle the 'fleshie' ones.

The femme giggled and relaxed against the stiff cages. "You humans are weird…" she murmured. "Look who's talking." Miller chuckled.

She snickered; "Oh! I have another question. Where do human babies come from?"

His mirth switched to a choke. Dear god, where'd that come from?! "U-uh...see...umm...when...man and woman like each other....they....umm...wh-why do you want to know?"

She pursed her labial plates and thought about it for a sec; "Curious? Thundercracker doesn't like to talk about things like this for some reason."

Ah curse you curiosity, Miller thought to himself. He ran a hand through his hair with a soft sigh. "I'm not sure I'm the right person to teach you about this stuff...maybe I can pick you up some books when I go into town to get food?"

"Ooh, that would be nice." The femme beamed and lifted her hand to gently pat Miller on the head with her finger.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for the reviews! :D  
We love feedback.  
_

"What were you thinking?"  
Sunstorm and Apollo looked between their uncles, and Thundercracker promptly stepped in their line of vision, blocking their view of Skywarp. "I will get to him later. Tell me what about your plans for the human."

Apollo shook his head; "I have nothing to do with this—"

"Bullshit!" Sunstorm dealt a hard shove to his brother's shoulder. "You're the one who mentioned Starscream."

Thundercracker froze upon hearing the name.  
And while the two younglings argued, he turned to Skywarp with a concerned look. "What about Starscream?" The darker jet shifted his weight onto his other foot rather nervously, averting his gaze to the floor. "I… might have mentioned something about turning the human into a Cybertronian, just so he can fit in… for Slipstream, of course. But Sunstorm spoke up saying something about an incomplete trine… And, well, Apollo knew Starscream could make it happen."

"How the hell does he know?"  
Skywarp shrugged lightly in response.

The elder brother turned back to the quarrelling siblings, trying to keep his anger at bay. "Both of you!" he barked, causing them to separate. "Leave. Now." And they complied, taking note of their caretaker's harsh tone.

"This isn't good..."

o---o

"So… Do you have any questions for me?"  
Since they were stuck in the prison, might as well pass the time satisfying their curiosity.

He tilted his head for a moment. What could be a possible...appropriate question to ask. Miller scratched the back of his head. "Uhh...what's it like shifting between being a jet and being...well in this shape...form?" He asked. "I mean...does it hurt? Do you learn it or is it an instinct thing?"

Slipstream thought for a moment and began to repeat what Thundercracker had explained to her; "It's instinct… And it doesn't hurt. We're born as, well, humanoids… We can still change, but it'd be something you'd see on Cybertron. We gotta scan a suitable earth vehicle if we want to fit in here."

He nodded slowly. Well that made...some sense. "And your being born...how...well how does that happen?"

"How… does my being born happen?" She had this blank look upon her face, but her smile soon appeared; "You were there, silly! You know how I was born."

Miller hung his head for moment. "Not....that part. I know how you are born but...how...." He paused trying to find a proper way to word his question. How did one ask how a transformer was 'conceived'? Were they even conceived? He resisted the urge to rub at the bridge of his nose. Maybe he needed to grab himself a book as well. "How do you get to that point? How were you created?"

Upon realizing what he meant, she covered her face with her hands and laughed. "I don't know… Maybe you should ask Thundercracker. You may have better luck than I did. Oh! Skywarp would _love_ to tell you. He likes females. A lot."

He felt his own face heat up. Wasn't this the same topic he tried to avoid? He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Eh, I don't think Thundercracker would appreciate me asking and Skywarp...eh....nevermind. Uh...was there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Hmm…"

The femme stood up and began to pace, her wings twitching every so often. "Well… Maybe." She paused and knelt before him; "You see, I was wondering, um… If—"

"How cute…"

Slipstream straightened and turned to face whoever it was looming in the shadows. _That voice… I recognize that voice…_

The Decepticon finally made his way from the door and toward the frightened femme. Miller's attention jerked at the extra voice. He looked up at the new mech that emerged and swallowed. He didn't recognize this one. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said, cupping her cheek lightly. He was almost as tall as Thundercracker; gray, in color, with a little bronze here and there. "And what have we here?" The large mech peered down at the cages. Slipstream forced a smile and lowered herself in front of him, leaning back slightly to perhaps block his view of the human. "His name is Miller Jacobs… He's my friend."

"So, you're the one everyone's been talking about, hm?"

Miller's gaze shifted to Slipstream. At the same time, he took a step back as the femme moved to hide him. As much as he would have liked to hold his own he knew all too well that he was at a big disadvantage. He listened silently as he was introduced. Miller's eyebrows rose slightly hearing the taller mech speak again. "I am?" He questioned.

Growling, the Decepticon leaned forward, firmly pushing Slipstream aside. And she looked between them anxiously; "Miller… This is Starscream."

Miller managed to keep his cool when Slipstream was pushed out of the way. This was just another mech, just another...whoa this was Starscream!? He paled slightly. "Uh...h-hi?" He said weakly.

The air commander tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking the human over. "I expected him to be… well, properly attired." As he said this, Starscream took a single claw and tugged away the makeshift loin cloth from around Miller's waist. Slipstream jumped and covered her eyes; "Starscream! Why'd you go and do that?"

Once again, he was left with nothing but the skin on his back. Miller clasped his hands in front of him and pursed his lips from making a retort. If it had been Skywarp or Sunstorm, he would have voiced his displeasure.

"I will never get tired of humiliating my victims." Well there was Sunstorm shining through. There was no doubt that this mech was their father.  
Starscream glanced over to his daughter and sneered; "Don't be such a flesh creature." He returned his attention to the human. "Miller Jacobs, I am under the impression that I am supposed to turn you into one of us. Is that correct?" Slipstream's optics widened. She didn't know whether to be happy about it, or completely and utterly miffed.

Miller glowered as he continued to stand there nude. Why did he have to be naked anyways?! His attention went back to Starscream as he addressed him. "Yes...I think that's what Skywarp mentioned." He answered.

Starscream shuddered with disgust at the thought of handling the human. "Slipstream, what do you think of this?" The femme bit her lower lip and tapped her fingertips together. It was solely up to Miller, though she wouldn't mind having a flying buddy who wasn't prone to vomiting inside of her. And so both transformers looked to the naked man…

He had come to terms with the aspect of being turned as much as he could. If he didn't do it, he'd be killed and he had come to enjoy life quite a bit over the past ten years. Looking between Starscream and Slipstream, he bit the inside of his cheek. Did Slipstream want this to happen?

Growling, the larger of the two Decepticons slammed his fist upon the cage next to Miller. "Tell me… Do you want to be one of us?"

He stumbled back, heart rattling almost as bad as the metal the Decepticon had just slammed his fist into. "Fuck...." He cursed before taking a calming breath. "Yes." He clipped out.


	8. Chapter 8

_*snickers* Here's more!_

Starscream looked over the lifeless shell of a Seeker and then to the unconscious human on the opposing table. "This will work, right?" came the concerned voice of his daughter. He sneered at the man and began to flick a couple of switches, _almost_ excited in getting to test out Wheeljack's [stolen] invention. "It should."

o---o

_Hours pass…_

Slipstream waited patiently in the chair next to the new Decepticon; alone, as usual. She was anxious to see if it actually worked, if Miller's mind had been transferred into the empty chassis. She studied the paintjob—how the gold trim highlighted the dark, forest green of his armor. The femme would have to show him how to scan a proper vehicle and how to ingest energon…

She had her work cut out for her.

He hadn't known what to expect with the transfer. The last thing he remembered was being told to keep still or had been his imagination. Red eyes blinked on causing the new mech to jolt slightly. Had it worked? He started to question aloud only to have a sound he'd heard Slipstream make before. Miller raised his hand to his throat and faltered. _Is that my hand,_ he thought to himself. He turned the new appendage slowly. At the same time, he sat up quickly.

Slipstream jumped as the new mech came to life. "Miller?!"

Miller flexed his new fingers experimentally. Hearing his name called, he lifted his attention to Slipstream. She didn't seem so big now. He tried to speak only to trill once more. Frowning, he paused for a moment. "Sl..ip...stream....Slipstream. HA, I can talk!"

The noise that exited his vocalizer was simply adorable!

She pressed her pointer finger against his brow and grinned; "I can't believe it worked. You're one of us now!"

His gaze shifted upward when she pressed her finger against his brow. His own grin spread across his face. "It did...now what? Wait...what happened to my other body?"

"Um…" she paused and looked to small cooler. "Starscream felt it necessary to keep your human body on ice… Just in case." _Yeah, don't mention the reason, Slip: the poor lad doesn't need to know how father plans to reverse the transfer and kill him if he fails._

"Just in case...what? In case it didn't work?" Miller asked. As he spoke, he tried standing. For a giant mechanical thing, his movements weren't nearly as loud as he'd imagine. Why hadn't he noticed that about Slip before. "This is so weird!" He said growing a little excited.

Slipstream giggled and watched with great amusement as he tried out his legs. "You need to build up your strength." She walked over to a large dispenser and removed an energon cube. "Here," she said, offering the liquid to the human-turned-transformer. "It's not bad."

He nodded and tried to take a few steps. "Ri-right-ooph..." Miller grunted as he fell on his ass. He grimaced for a second before looking up at Slipstream. "What do I do with this?" He asked as he took the cube from the femme.

"You drink it." She managed to force out the instruction through a cackling fit.

Miller pouted hearing Slipstream laughing. He'd get a hang of this new body soon enough. Sticking his tongue out at her, he looked to the cube once more. "Okay, drink it....does it open a certain way or do I just bite it?" He questioned.

Slipstream snickered and urged the cube to his lips. "Open your mouth," she ordered softly, placing one hand on the bottom of the cube, while the other cradled the edge.

Miller did as he was instructed opening his mouth slowly. Taking mouthful after mouthful, he was surprised to find that the thin blue liquid tasted a lot like sugar water. In no time, it was gone. "MMmm, that tastes great." He said once the cube was empty. He wiped absently at his mouth.

"It does some days." Slipstream tossed the empty cube aside; "Can you stand okay now?" she asked, holding out her hand to aide him if he needed it.

"Only one way to find out." Miller took the offered hand and pushed up. He wobbled for a second before finding his balance. Releasing his hold on Slipstream's hand he lifted one foot then the other. "So far so good." With that said, he tried to take his first steps.

The femme smiled, clasping her hands before her.

She assumed this is what it felt like to watch a hatchling take its first steps. She felt her facial plates heat up at the thought. iMe… A carrier? Psh./i

"What do you want to do now?"

He bit his lip in concentration as he powered through his first steps. Each one was more confident than the other until finally, he got his stride. Grinning he looked back to Slip and shrugged his shoulders. What did a new mech do. "Hmm...I want to find a vehicle to....scan and whatnot."

"Of course!" She laughed and took his hand, dragging him out of the building and into the cool, night air. "What did you have in mind?"

He laughed lightly trying his best to keep up with her. His eyes were bright and eager as they exited the building. "I have no clue. Maybe I could be a jet of some kind like you?"

Slipstream offered a little smile and activated her thrusters, keeping a firm hold on Miller's hand as she flew through the air and back to a familiar air force base. "Do you remember this place?"

Miller held on to her hand as his feet left the ground. Not once did he worry about how high up they were. He trusted Slipstream with his life; had since he'd been dubbed her plaything. As they settled on the ground again, he scanned the area. "This....this is where I found you and your brothers, right?"

She nodded.

"It is…" She approached an F-15, then looked over to another F-22 and a Blackbird. Since their leaving the base, it was apparent that Miller's people had traced the call and ended up using the site as their personal garage. "Well, it seems you have a good selection."

"Well at least they didn't come after us." He said lightly as he looked over each jet. He finally stopped in front of the Blackbird. "How about this one?" He asked wanting the femme's opinion.

Slipstream eyed the large black jet. "It _is_ attractive. Well, if you really want it… Take a good look at it and concentrate. Look in and around the machine. Memorize its inner and outer workings."

He nodded upon getting her approval. "Inner workings, huh?" His brows furrowed as he concentrated on the jet. How was he supposed to see the inner workings without taking it apart? As if to answer his question, the image before him changed giving him exactly what he was looking for in a blink of an eye. Miller shook his head and blinked rapidly. "Whoa."

The femme giggled once again; "The joys of having a good pair of optics. Now, once you've got that image in your CPU, think 'transform' and your body should do the rest."

"How do I know when its in my CPU?" He asked once he had recovered from the initial burst of information. As if something clicked, he let out an 'oooh'. "There it is." He murmured then concentrated. He looked down to his hands then to the jet picturing himself taking on that form. There was a whirling sound and suddenly everything was shifting. Miller yelped semi oblivious to the fact that his body was taking on the shape of the jet.

Just as quick as it had started, it stopped. Miller's optics reactivated again. "Did....did I do it?"

"Hehe, you did!"

Slipstream knelt by the jet and ran her fingertips along his wing, knowing they were the most sensitive spots on a Seeker. A shudder went through the jet at the touch. "Whoa." Was about all he could say about it. It was awestrickening. "Now, we need to get out of here before someone sees us." She leapt into the air and transformed, speeding off; "You're it!"

Hearing Slipstream's words, he laughed. "No fair!" He called behind her as he sped off to catch up. It wasn't as hard as learning to walk. "I'm going to get you!" He called. If he had been in his more humanoid form, there would have been a grin on his face.

o---o

On a nearby mountain, Thundercracker and Skywarp watched as the two jets sliced through the sky. "I can't believe you did it, 'Screamer." Their trine leader sat back, unable to bring himself to gaze upon the spectacle. It was clear he wasn't pleased with his only daughter choosing a ihuman/i--well, a _former human_--but she _was_ his only daughter… and he wanted her happy, and if this made her happy…

"Yes, well. I had no choice."

Thundercracker gave an irritated snort; "You never could say no to a pretty face." And the older Seeker soon found himself pelted by a rock.

"I think it's romantic," Skywarp added, and both of his trinemates simply stared in confusion. Since when has Skywarp been _romantic at heart?_

o---o

Slipstream raced towards a cliff and quickly shot down the side, heading straight toward the ocean's surface. "Don't hit the water~" she mocked, pulling herself up as she closed in. Miller grunted as he followed her. Well this was going to be quite the scene if he couldn't handle flying. "I'll try." He shot back watching as the water's surface approached. Straining up, he was able to follow Slip's example by just a hair. "Whooohoooo!!" He cheered. Moving up a little higher, he did one...then two barrel rolls letting just the tips of his wings graze the water.

This is what she craved.

The wind along her wings, the freedom; and a friend to share it with.

Up ahead, she spotted an island and decided it was a good place to rest. "Miller, last one to the island gets to sleep on the floor!" With that, she picked up speed, heading straight for the sandy beach.

He righted himself in time to hear the challenge. With a blast form his thrusters, he was going at speeds that he'd complained about in human form. Now as a transformer, the faster he went, the more satisfying this flight was becoming. His eyes focused on the island intently as he came closer until finally...he remembered to break. "Oh shit!" He cursed, his nose had just hit the ground sending him into a spin. Attempting to make the impact a little less traumatic, he shifted back into his humanoid form. In the end, he landed on his back sprawled in a mess of broken trees. "Did I win?" He groaned.

Slipstream transformed in the sky and landed gracefully; "Miller!" She ran over to the pile of debris. "Are you all right?"

Miller blinked up Slipstream. "I think so." He answered. Groaning, he pushed up and rubbed at his head. "Guess I need to work on my breaks." She snickered, and held out her hand. "Or learn how to transform _ibefore/i_ you hit the ground."

He took the hand and pulled himself up. "Yeah yeah yeah. I still won so there." He stuck his tongue out at her. "Hee, you did. So I guess I get to sleep on the floor tonight."

"Maybe we can find something big enough for the both of us. If not, I don't mind taking the floor." Miller offered. He couldn't rightfully take his prize without feeling like an asshole for making the femme sleep on the ground.

"Are you implying that I _sleep with you?" _And she shot him that murderous look…

He felt his face heat up. Miller raised his hand and shook them fervently. "No no no...just....not like that, I swear. I just figured that we could share a sleeping spot to sleep and nothing else so neither of us have to sleep on the floor."

Slipstream cocked an optic ridge as she placed her hands behind her back and began to walk around the beach, admiring the scenery. "This place is nice…" she muttered more to herself, glancing up to the moon for a moment, then to the water and how the light shimmered off the surface. He followed behind her taking in the island as they went and nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." He said lightly as he looked her way.

Slipstream cocked an optic ridge, but pushed it aside… for now.

"So, how do you like it?" she asked, casting a glance over her shoulder.

He was mentally kicking himself. Miller ducked his head and absently rubbed at the back of his neck. His offer had truly been an innocent one but he hadn't thought that it would have been a big deal. Maybe it was because of the new form. He was drawn out of his thoughts hearing the question. "It? Oh...its great so far. Amazing really."

She smiled and made her way over his side. "I can't help but feel a little guilty for it…" The femme frowned and began picking the small particles of sand from her arm. Had she not been so weak, maybe he wouldn't have had to deal with such things… and end up ruining his human life.

"Its not your fault, Slip." Miller stated. He didn't know all of the details about why he had been chosen but he couldn't say he had any regrets. "Hey, you don't have to worry about me puking in your cockpit anymore." He pointed out with a light smile.

Slipstream returned the smile. "This is true. But I was so looking forward to you cleaning it with a toothbrush."

He chuckled. "I would have gotten out of doing that somehow."

"Oh? How so? Please explain." She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the former human to dish out the details of how he was expecting to weave his way out of cleaning the puke from within her cockpit.

"Ummm those details are confidential?" He said lamely. He had no true plans to get out of it. Maybe to go hide in a very small hole. Other than that, he hadn't given it much thought up until which was obviously too late. Slipstream rolled her optics and took a seat in the sand…

"Men are complicated." "You've never complained about me being male before." He pouted. And then Slipstream had an idea; "Maybe we can put you inside of a FEMALE body!"

Miller's eyes widened hearing her next comment. "B-but I like the one I have and I'm a guy...I'd like to keep it that way." He had no clue what set the male mechs from the female mechs other than the obvious builds. It felt odd to not even know if his 'privates' were housed in the same area.

She stuck out her glossa in a teasing manner. Ah, if her dear uncle would ever talk to her about such things as the 'birds and the bees', then maybe she could properly threaten Miller… for fun, of course. But wait! Miller said he'd get her books. Yes. About those books.

"What about my books? Will you still be able to get them?"

He laughed softly at her reaction. Sticking his glossa back out at her before looking out to the water. "Oh the books...umm...I'm not sure...." He answered. It wasn't like he could just walk into a store to get the books now. "I can try." He offered with a shrug.

"What about the internet?" she asked, standing. "Thundercracker's place isn't too far from here. We can snoop around for a little while."

He hadn't thought about that. "Brilliant idea, Slip." Miller said all too soon. At the mention of snooping around Thundercracker's place, he couldn't help but grimace. "Are you sue that's a good idea?" He asked.

"He won't mind~" she added in a sing song voice. "Come on." And off into the sky she went, transforming like a pro. Miller had some more protest in him. Seeing Slipstream transform, it was clear that she honestly thought it was safe. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this..." He muttered. Not knowing how to take off into the sky in his humanoid form, he concentrated and transformed on land. "Wait up!" He called as he took off after her.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I forgot to post this chapter here - shame, shame. I'm not entirely happy with it though...  


* * *

Thundercracker's domain was neat and tidy and, compared to his brother's, a five star suite. Walking up to the main computer, Slipstream typed in a few passwords and opened the search engine. "What shall we look for?"

Miller flitted his gaze over the area. Neat but then again, he didn't expect anything less of Thundercracker's place. Focusing his attention forward, he followed after Slipstream. "Umm...I don't know. What did you want to know first?" He asked coming to stand beside her. She gave a light shrug; "What do humans call their interface equipment?"

"Aheh...well...females call theirs a...they have a vagina and ovaries....and males have testicles and penis."

_Such weird terms,_ she thought.  
"Alright. Here we go." She typed in 'penis' and clicked search, and the results were horrifying. Miller averted his gaze from the monitor. This was so...awkward. A moment of silence whipped through the room as Slipstream tried to wrap her mind around the fuglyness of the appendage. "How does it work? Wait. Don't tell me." She went into a fit of giggles and typed in 'human mating rituals'. The results this time had the femme's face contort into a look of 'oh my god they're gonna kill themselves.'

Miller looked back briefly. If it wasn't for Slipstream's face he would have been mortified. Instead, he choked back laughter. He then explained how coitus was performed…

She glared at him; "That is so disgusting!" She huffed and was about to type in 'birthing process' when footsteps sounded down the hall. Miller held up his hands with his eyes semi wide. "You're the one that wanted to know." He said in his defense. "I'm sure your...interfacing isn't much prettier."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't know, my—"

"Her uncle wouldn't tell her about such things by the decree of her father."

Slipstream's optics grew wide and she quickly searched through the keyboard, trying to exit out of what the humans called 'porn.' But it was too late. Thundercracker had already spotted the evidence.

Miller shrugged lightly. He kept his eyes away from the screen all too aware of how quickly this 'lesson' was going to turn downhill. Just how much, he had no idea of...until Thundercracker walked in. "Ffffuck." The human turned transformer cursed placing a hand over his eyes.

"So… This is Miller's new body, hm?" the blue jet inquired, walking up to the other mech. "Interesting. If you don't mind… I'd like to speak with you privately." He then glanced to Slipstream, who was now cowering behind the computer console; "I will have a talk with you later."

Miller had a bad feeling forming in his gut....area. He lowered his hand reluctantly. He looked between Slipstream and Thundercracker. "Right." Was about all he could say to the older mech's words.

Thundercracker nodded and motioned to a small room. Miller followed behind him, sparing Slipstream a glance as he walked into the room.  
Once inside, he closed the door and made sure it was locked before proceeding; "How are you, Miller Jacobs? Getting used to your new life?"

"Uh...I'm doing surprisingly well. Yes I am." He nodded at the other's questions.

"Excellent. I understand you and Slipstream are close?"

"Hm? Yes...we are. Why?" He paused. "If its about out there...it wasn't...she was curious about human...I think she calls it interfacing...I was supposed to get her some books but I can't now and...." He trailed off sure that Thundercracker didn't care to hear it.

"She is coming of age, yes; such things are to be expected. This may seem forward, but… how close are you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "We're...friends."

Thundercracker's expression softened; "Good… I am not ready to be a great-uncle." He sat in a nearby chair and glanced to the one across the table. "You are free to sit, if you wish."

His eyes widened slightly. "Great...y-you mean...ooooh..uh...wow." He felt his face heat up. Miller hadn't so much as saw Slipstream in that light. Making his way to the chair he took a seat so as not to be rude.

The seeker eyed the other male from afar. "You're a lucky one, Miller Jacobs. If Slipstream wasn't such a 'daddy's girl'—as the humans say—you would've been dismembered a long time ago." Miller chuckled softly. Whether it was from discomfort of his own amusement, he wasn't sure. "I'm well aware of that." He said with a soft smile. "I think I've let her know how grateful I am most days."

Thundercracker finally smiled.  
"I'm not entirely sure of what all she has told you… Enlighten me?"

"She's taught me how to scan a vehicle...I can transform and fly. And the blue stuff, she's shown me that too."

"…you still have much to learn, but you seem to have the basics. What about recharging? Weapons?"

His brows raised. "I need to recharge?" He looked own at himself then up again. "Do I already have weapons on me? or...do they come later?"

The blue jet stood from the table and walked over to Miller, patting the null rays on his arms. "These… and these." He then motioned to the missile launchers mounted on his shoulders. Miller looked to each location. "OOoh...so that's what those are." He murmured. "I'll be taught how to fire these I take it?"

"Eventually…I'm not so sure of a _novice_ using such advance weaponry."

Miller couldn't argue there. Though they didn't look like much, he wasn't going to doubt the dangers his built in weaponry posed. "I'll have to learn eventually though..." He said lightly. "Do...hatchlings come out already knowing how to work these?" He asked as he looked to Thundercracker once more.

The blue jet shook his head and walked to the table's edge.  
"They don't _know_… Instinct. If they feel threatened, they will attack using any means possible. You seem interested in our species' young…"

"Well...yeah I am. I'm kind of like a big....hatchling once it all boils down aren't I?"

Thundercracker eyed the other mech warily; "I suppose… Tell me, why did you become a government agent?"

Miller nodded. He was ready to allow silence settle between them but found himself being questioned about his choice in occupation. "My dad was a government agent. He'd come home with all sorts of stories...I wanted to be just like him so...I worked my ass off to get there."

"And look where it got you… You never expected this, hm?"

He gave a short chuckle and shook his head. "No I didn't. Nor did I expect to make it this far."

The seeker nodded; "And what sort of stories did your sire come home with?"

Miller shrugged. "He talked about talking cars and trucks. I can't remember all of the stories exactly."

"Did he bring home pictures? Files? Anything?"

"Mmmm I'm not sure....why?"

Thundercracker averted his gaze for a moment before walking to the door.  
"Curious…" he murmured. "Well, you best go find Slipstream. I'm sure she's worried." He opened the door and stepped out.

His curiosity peaked slightly watching the older mech averted his gaze. Miller tilted his head slightly but didn't press. He nodded and stood at the mention of Slipstream. "Alright." He stepped out of the room after Thundercracker. Once outside, he sought out Slipstream.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thank you for reviewing. :)  


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Slipstream sat along the edge of the cliff, admiring the mellow scenery, when her missing companion decided to approach. "Did you have a good talk with Uncle?" she asked, never once tearing her gaze away from the mountain range. Miller frowned, thinking her to be disappointed in him - why? He didn't know. "I did, actually. A little awkward, but…" The femme twisted her frame to look at the mech; "But?" "Well… It was okay? I mean, I felt like any normal young man would when confronted about their female friends."

Slipstream stood and scowled at the other flier.

"So apparently Thundercracker sees you as a possible mate for me. I don't even know about stuff like that! And he expects - that just because you're male and I'm female - that we'll end up as spark mates." Her sudden outburst had Miller shrink back out of fear and surprise. He's never seen her this upset before. "I need to talk to Starscream…" she added. "He'll surely kill me then!" Miller squeaked. Slipstream's gaze softened into a smile; "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't." With that, she took off, leaving him alone to mull over the past few hours.

"What do you want, child?"

The young female knelt before the other seeker, dipping her head between her shoulders in full submission. "I came to talk to you about something… personal." Starscream inclined his helm with slight interest and gave a slow gesture of his hand. Slipstream approached cautiously, climbing into his lap like a mere sparkling, and nuzzled under his chin. "Speak," he commanded. "Tell me about our kind. The Allspark wasn't our only way to procreate, was it? Then tell me how it happens, so I can be better prepared." The larger jet tensed; "_Better prepared?_ For what? No daughter of mine is going to experiment… becoming a… _whore_."

"I never said anything about - oh, never mind! Starscream… _Father_… Thundercracker is concerned. I am coming of age and I can't remain celibate forever."

"And why not?" he countered, slipping his talons firmly around her throat.

"The last thing we need is another reason for Megatron to wipe us out!" Slipstream struggled against his grasp and whimpered; "H-He doesn't have to k-know… Starscream, please… I care for our race just as much as you do." Starscream dropped the femme into his lap and sighed, mulling over her words as he caressed her chin. In truth - he was frightened. He risked his life to meet with her carrier, to hide her and her siblings all those years ago… And to expose his naïve creation to such information would endanger her life as well as his bloodline as a whole. But Thundercracker knew her breeding was inevitable - coming of age meant her first cycle, which led to mechs trailing after her. And this had Starscream feeling… uneasy.

"I think it should be a female's job to speak with another female about these things."

Both Seekers averted their gaze to the shadows, where a lone figure stood. "You again…" sneered the Air Commander. The stranger stepped closer, giving a light bow to the mech before her eyes settled upon the smaller jet. "And you must be Slipstream. It's nice to finally meet you." Slipstream's lips parted to speak, but her sire ended up answering her silent inquiry; "Slipstream - this is your mother, Darminion."

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**A/N: **I apologize for the late update and the shortness of this chapter - writer's block is a royal douche. Darminion is also my new OC… Hopefully she turns out as good as I want her to.


	11. Chapter 11

Slipstream slid to the floor between the two older Decepticons and lowered her gaze; "I hope I am to your liking," she murmured. Darminion smiled and strode past the submissive child, and towards the large male behind her. Did she just ignore me? - the young femme mentally questioned the woman's actions.

"It's been a long while, Starscream. But I can't stay long… Perhaps, once Megatron cools off a little, we can meet… somewhere private." Darminion raked a single claw down Starscream's cockpit, seemingly oblivious to her daughter's presence. Slipstream shuddered and stood up, flexing her wings; "I'm right here!" The two larger jets looked to the youth. "Yes… Come, my darling child, we shall talk." The Decepticon queen intertwined her arm with the other and took a final glance back to the Air Commander.

"Another time…"

The two walked silently along the moon's surface.

Slipstream was still somewhat put off by the adults' display just moments ago, and was now even more uncomfortable alone with a femme she's never met. "I always knew we'd make attractive offspring." The youngling paused mid step and glared after the queen; "Please…"

"I apologize for being so forward. I'm sure this isn't how your ideal mother is supposed to act…"

"No. I'm just disappointed in how Starscream failed to mention you."

"Ah, I see… But it was for your own good. The Fallen would've had you and your siblings destroyed, and Megatron would've surely devoured any hope of his second in command succeeding where he could not."

"And you? Are you pleased with how things turned out?"

Darminion fell silent once more and glanced to the rising Earth.

"Yes. For me - it is less to worry about, especially now." Slipstream scowled at the elder female. "Anyway, you were curious about something, yes?" the queen inquired, smiling as the youth nodded slowly. "Very well. I will tell you… When carriers are ready, they will emit odorless pheromones that are only sensed by male Cybertronians. Keep in mind, not only females are capable of carrying… It causes even the most obedient of mechs to drop everything and focus on continuing their genetic line; fights occur and if the carrier isn't ready mentally - the mechs would wait as long as it takes, but some refuse to… and well, I'm sure you can figure that out.

It could take several sessions to impregnate a carrier. All males produce nanites that are transferred via Tran fluid, and once penetrated - the carrier's spark will release a bundle of genetic material that will travel to the gestational chamber, where it will meet with the nanites, and a single nanite will fuse with the energy and create the new spark, while the rest of the nanites work off the genetic code to build the chassis around it. Gestation lasts thirty days. When it's time for the hatchling, the paneling will open and the creature will crawl out… and cling to any available. There - it will create a cocoon and continue its development… It's normal for the carriers to remain by the pods and even the sires will show concern - it all depends on the mech or femme. Seekers, however, are prone to protecting their offspring fiercely, despite their Decepticon heritage. All Cybertronians are capable of acting on instinct - sentient or not, we are still beasts in the eyes of most."

Slipstream remained motionless, taking in every last bit of information.

"So, I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked, averting her gaze to the lunar surface. Darminion frowned and gave a light shrug of her shoulders. "But don't worry - we'll set you up with a nice mech." "What?!" The queen grinned and started to walk away when she heard the soft rumble of weapons being powered. Slipstream aimed her gun at the other female, "I will not have my life lived for me. Not anymore."

"Now, Slipstream - you are your father's daughter. It makes me proud to have given him such an heir."

"You never loved Starscream…"

"You don't have to love. When the time comes, you'll see. You will put it off and put it off until you can't stand it…"

"…you're no mother of mine, Darminion."

"-but she is to me."

It was then, Slipstream felt the barrel of a null ray against her helm. "Apollo? What are you doing?" She felt the pressure and winced, not wanting to believe her own brother would kill her. "Something I should've done a long time ago. I plan on being Starscream's successor and when he's finally scrapped by Megatron, I will take over as second-in-command and finish the bastard off myself." "What about Sunstorm? And the rest of Starscream's trine?" Apollo hissed and brought his other hand to the side of her helm, firmly holding her in place. "Sunstorm is far too stupid to realize anything, and as for the other two - I'm sure Darminion can figure something out."

Slipstream glanced to her mother, noticing the small smirk forming. "We need more Seekers, after all…" he added. The young femme trembled with fear and anger. "And we'll add your little boyfriend to the harem as well!" No. This couldn't be happening to her. It was all just a nightmare. It had to be. Where was her father? Her uncles? She wanted to cry out for them, but her voice failed to register.

_Miller…_

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**A/N:** Another short one... T_T


	12. Chapter 12

Miller had sat with his legs draped over the edge of the cliff...frowning. Slipstream's outburst still repeated in his head. A mate. It felt like yesterday that he was seeing her climb out of the glowing blue pod. How did things become so complicated so quickly. His chest expanded then slowly collapsed as he sighed heavily. Pulling himself to his feet, he turned away from the view before him. "Just had to go investigate that site didn't I..." He murmured to himself. Even as he said this, he found himself...missing the femme and wondering how long it would be until she returned.

As he caught the thought pattern, he snorted softly. For years he'd been following Slipstream like some lost pup. Now, as a mech, as one of them, he needed to change things. The handicap of being human was gone now. That much was evident as he peered down at his hands. If he focused his hearing enough, he could hear the whirling gears as he curled one digit as a time. He was just like them only he needed to learn what they knew faster to accommodate his size if not for himself then for Slipstream.

Miller nodded at his own reasoning and bought his attention to the weapon on his forearm. He had yet to be shown how to use it. Then again, why should he wait? He didn't have to wait for his parents to teach him how to use his limbs. "Alright, that's see what this can do." He stated feeling a bit of excitement as he examined the limb. Leveling it so that he could sight down his arm, he aimed at a tree. His eyes narrowed in concentration picturing the weapon going off and trying to get it to do so. A moment passed and nothing happened.

"Come on....fire........shoot.....something!"

Miller shook the arm in frustration then jerked it in the direction of the tree once again. This time the weapon discharged almost sending him falling to the ground. He stumbled instead. The sound of the tree exploding along with several behind it echoed through the air. He laughed triumphantly. "Hah!"

Another fire was shot destroying several more trees. A grin tugged at his lips. "What else is there...." His hands patted along his chest and arms in search of more weapons to try. His attention came the arm he'd assumed was weaponless. Just as before he held it up and concentrated. Almost instantly a barrel extended from a small port located at the center of his forearm. Seconds later, a litter of bullets were fired rattling the trees that still stood. "Perfect." He stated cutting the stream short. "Just wait til Slip sees this." With that said, he jumped into the air and took on his jet form and took off for some flying practice.

* * *

Slipstream woke up on the cold surface of her cell floor. Her head hurt, her arms hurt, everything hurt. With a strangled breath, the femme sat up and peered around her holding area. Did Starscream know? Did her uncles know? Did Miller…? He was probably worried about her. Slipstream attempted to beep Miller through their private comm. hoping that he knew how to use it…

_**Miller?**_

_**

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**_

He spent the rest of the night perfecting his flying until he barely had the energy to return to the resting area Slipstream had shown him earlier. There he took the bed with the intentions to allow the femme to have it once she returned. However that time never came. Miller felt a sense of disappointment when he awoke to find that Slipstream hadn't returned. Sitting up slowly, he searched the room as if he could have possibly overlooked her. His search was paused upon hearing her call his name. Instinctively he looked toward the door. "Sli--..." He paused finding no one there. Was he losing his mind? He frowned but quickly recalled how the mechs communicated amongst each other.

_**Slipstream? Where are you?**_

_**

* * *

**_

A stream of hope ran through her circuits as his voice echoed throughout her mind; _**I don't know… My… carrier - I mean, mother - is here, and she's plotting something bad, Miller. Apollo's in on the whole thing too!**_

_**

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**_

He could feel his stomach drop upon hearing her words. The fact that her mother was in the picture hardly mattered. It all narrowed down to Slipstream was out there...and in danger. _**What....what do I do, Slip? Does your father know? **_Miller was already on the move. He would find her with or without the other's help.

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**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait! v_____v


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